The Gorge is my Gym

Good morning!

This week’s report is brought to you by Gath Helmets. It’s going to be super windy today, and even if you never wear a helmet, you might want to consider wearing one today. Don’t have one? Get a Gath. They’re light, comfortable, and low-profile. You’ll barely notice it’s on, until you smack your head and realize you’re still alive. Check out some of the cool styles from Gath here. Get a Gath. One of the email subscribers is going to win a free Gath helmet this week. That’s like getting an extra life. (and if you’re not on the list, subscribe by clicking the donate button below for a suggested $10 donation.)

Kiters and Windsurfers, stop looking at the iWindsurf readings on your computer, turn off your smartphone, and get on the water. The 5am gradient from Portland to the Dalles was at .16, and there was another .06 out east. With the low clouds just west of Hood River, you want to be at the Hatch, the Sandbar or at Mosier this morning for 27-31 with higher gusts. .

If you can’t get out until the afternoon, that’s fine too, because it’s going to blow 28-32 or more from Doug’s out to Arlington later today. If you see the wind getting gusty wherever you are today (and there’s a good chance of that as the frontal system approaches/passes), take a look at the readings way out east, because the upper low and passing frontal system favor Arlington and Roosevelt. There’s also a good chance of strong wind at Stevenson today, so if you have the ability, keep one eye to the west, and one eye to the east.

Thursday and Friday look windy too, with 24-28 near Hood River in the morning and at Stevenson and Doug’s in the afternoon. The way things are looking now, the mid twenties west wind will blow through the weekend.

If you’re working today and you’re looking for something to do tonight, there are Sailboat races out of the Hood River Marina, meeting on the docks at 5:30. With the strong wind those races should be super fun, with lots of carnage tonight. There’s also the Kayak Shed’s shop paddle, meeting at the Husum put-in, also at 5:30.

Coming up tomorrow night for the after work crowd, there’s the Thursday Night Tri bonus practice, the Post and Pint ride in Post Canyon, and a free crossfit workout at the Event Site.

Boaters, the White Salmon’s just below 2 feet and the Klickitat’s at 795 cfs. Coming up on September 11th, there’s a rafting race on the White Salmon River. Details here: http://www.nwrafting.com/white-salmon

Have a great day today!

Temira

p.s. If you find this report useful, entertaining, or just want to recognize all the hard work that goes into it, please take the time to make a donation by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page. For a suggested donation of $10, I’ll add you to the email version of this list ‘til May 2011, putting you in the running for cool prizes donated by the weekly sponsors.

Good morning!

This week’s report is brought to you by Gath Helmets. Wearing a helmet is really cool. Seriously. Check out pro bike racers, pro skiers, pro kayakers and pro snowboarders. They’re all really cool (except for the doping bike racers), and they all wear helmets. Be like them. Wear a helmet. Check out some of the cool styles from Gath here. Gath helmets are thin, light and close-fitting, and they last forever. You’ll barely notice they’re on, until you smack your head (or someone runs into your head) and you realize you’re still alive. Get a Gath. One of the email subscribers is going to win a free Gath helmet this week. That’s like getting an extra life. (and if you’re not on the list, subscribe by clicking the donate button below for a suggested $10 donation.)

Despite the heat, the gradient had already turned westerly through the Gorge yesterday, but the gradient is only at .02 this morning. There is very little marine cloud coverage in Western Oregon this morning, so the chance of wind this afternoon is pretty light. If we get lucky, we’ll have 13-15 this evening from Stevenson to Hood River – I’d say it’s a 50/50 chance, and if predicted thunderstorms develop, we’re not going to get any wind today.

If you like lots of wind, tomorrow is the day you’ve been waiting for. An upper level low crossing the Cascades south of the Columbia combines with a passing frontal system to set up big gradients across the Gorge tomorrow. Of course, it’s not clear yet where the cloud line will end up, so it’s hard to tell if the strongest wind will be at Mosier or at the Hatchery in the morning. Either way, expect 28-32, with a chance of even more, from Hood River to Doug’s in the morning, filling in at The Wall and Arlington later in the day.

Since there are weather dynamics going on tomorrow, there’s a good chance the wind will be quite gusty, but if you love high wind and can take some time off tomorrow, you should.

The westerlies back off a little on Thursday, but they’ll keep blowing into the foreseeable future. That means through the weekend, as best as I can tell.

If you need something to do tonight, there’s the Tuesday Night Tri workout meeting at the east end of the Hood River Event Site around 6pm. If you can’t make the Tuesday workout, there’s now a bonus Thursday Tri workout. Same place, same time.

Coming up this Saturday, CGWA is putting on a CPR class. This isn’t limited to windsurfers, so anyone can register. Visit GorgeWindsrufing.org for more information, and if you sign up today, you get a discount on the registration.

Boaters, the White Salmon’s just below 2 feet and the Klickitat’s right around 850 cfs.

Have a great day today!

Temira

p.s. If you find this report useful, entertaining, or just want to recognize all the hard work that goes into it, please take the time to make a donation by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page. For a suggested donation of $10, I’ll add you to the email version of this list ‘til May 2011, putting you in the running for cool prizes donated by the weekly sponsors.